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Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Lipton Chevrolet Richmond Preview

Press Release — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:35:41 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Lipton Chevrolet)

EVENT – Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (250 laps/ 187.5 miles)

TRACK – Richmond International Raceway (0.75-Mile D-shaped Oval)

DATE – Friday, September 11, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:15 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Brad Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 292 points behind leader Kyle Busch, but only 71 behind second place Carl Edwards. In 26 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have three wins, 15 top-fives, 20 top-10s and two pole awards. His average starting position is 13.4 and average finish is 7.6.

KESELOWSKI AT RICHMOND – Keselowski will make his fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series start for JR Motorsports at Richmond International Raceway this weekend. His best finish at the 0.75-mile track came in this season’s spring race where he finished fourth.

SHORT TRACK ACE – Keselowski has shown his prowess on the series’ short tracks this season. Since the last race at Richmond in May, Keselowski has scored one win, four top-fives and has an average finish of 3.0 on tracks less than one mile in length. In addition to RIR, these tracks include O’Reilly Raceway Park, Iowa Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

SPOTLIGHT ON LIPTON – This weekend will mark the only race in 2009 that Keselowski will carry the Lipton seal on the hood of the No. 88 Chevy, but it’s the second time this season that Lipton has sponsored a JR Motorsports car. Lipton was the primary sponsor of the No. 5 Chevy driven by Mark Martin at the Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond in May.

WELCOME BACK WIMMER – Scott Wimmer will return as a teammate for Keselowski this weekend, driving the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevy. In races with Wimmer as a teammate, Keselowski has scored one win (Iowa), three top-five finishes and has an average finish of 4.7.

CHASSIS NO. 528 – The No. 88 Lipton team will run Chassis No. 528 this weekend. This car was last run at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July where Keselowski started seventh and finished fourth. This car was also raced at Richmond in May.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” – The latest JR Motorsports online contest, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway,” is, now in its fifth week. Fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win one of 60 prize packages. Prizes will continue to be distributed each week until the contest ends on Sept. 18th. Prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways which were donated by 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsor partners. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com

EDUCATION FOR ELI: With the effort and support of the entire NASCAR community, a college fund has been set up for Eli Ross, the 2-year-old grandson of late motorsports journalist David Poole, who passed away on April 28. Anyone interested in contributing to the “Education for Eli” fund can do so by sending donations to the following address:

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

DEGREE V12 CHALLENGE – NASCAR fans still have a chance to team up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski in the Degree V12 Challenge. Players compete against each other for a chance to win a variety of great prizes including tailgate entertainment systems, gaming packages, cash, and more! Visit www.DegreeRacing.com to register for the Degree V12 Challenge and begin racing to win. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/27/09. Visit www.DegreeRacing.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on returning to Richmond) – “It’s the final weekend for us of the summer stretch and what a great way to finish it at Richmond under the lights. Richmond is a place I have had some struggles, but we had a pretty good run here in the spring and I’m ready to back that up this weekend. From what I remember, there was a lot of beating and banging in our first race and I don’t expect anything different this time. We want to give these fans a good show and I think they’ll get that with the close, side-by-side racing under the lights that they have come to expect.”

KESELOWSKI (on the points battle) – “Including this weekend, we have nine races to go in the season which, is plenty of time to make up points. Up until last weekend at Atlanta, we were gaining on the leader and we’re still continuing to gain on second place. Just like last season, one race can make a huge difference in the point standings. Just look at my fall race in California last year. That finish kind of took us out of the thick of things in a hurry. Alan Kulwicki was running for a championship in 1992 and wrecked out at Dover with six races to go which put him about 280 points out. He still came back and won the title that year which goes to show you that anything is possible.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Michigan Preview

Press Release — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:09:06 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)

EVENT – CARFAX 250 (125 laps/ 250 miles)

TRACK – Michigan International Speedway (Two- Mile D-Shaped Oval)

DATE – Saturday, August 15, 2009

TV/ RADIO– ESPN2 (coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3:00 p.m. EST)

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Brad Keselowski will be available to members of the media at 3:35 p.m. on Friday, August 14 in the Michigan International Speedway Media Center.

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 409 back from leader Kyle Busch. In 22 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have two wins, 11 top-fives, 16 top-10s and one pole award. His average starting position is 13.5 and average finish is 8.5.

COMING HOME - This weekend, Keselowski returns to his home track of Michigan International Speedway. Keselowski was raised in Rochester Hills, Mich., located about 100 miles from the track. Before making his way to the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series, Keselowski spent a lot of time running local tracks in quarter-midget and late-model stock cars.

KESELOWSKI AT MICHIGAN – Keselowski will be making his third NASCAR Nationwide Series start for JR Motorsports at MIS this weekend. He has an average finish of 12.0. His best finish was 11th last season after starting 22nd.

DOUBLE DUTY – In addition to his duties driving the No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, Keselowski will drive the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. On double-duty weekends, Keselowski has scored two top-fives and three top-10s in the Nationwide Series.

HEADING TO THE BIG HOUSE – On Thursday, Keselowski will attend football practice at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. This is the second time Keselowski has had the opportunity to visit the training camp of his favorite team, the Michigan Wolverines.

A DAY AT THE RACE – This weekend, Keselowski has invited a group of laid-off auto-workers from the Local UAW 5960 to an afternoon of racing on Saturday at MIS. Keselowski is providing transportation for the group from Orion, Mich. to the racetrack and plans to greet them when they arrive with tickets to the CARFAX 250. MIS has donated the tickets on behalf of Keselowski.

A GODADDY STREAK – Keselowski looks to continue his trend of top finishes for primary sponsor GoDaddy.com this weekend at MIS. While driving the neon green and orange No. 88 Chevrolet, Keselowski has amassed two wins, seven top-fives and nine top-10s in 12 races.

CHASSIS NO. 356 – The No. 88 GoDaddy.com team will run Chassis No. 356 this weekend in the CARFAX 250 at MIS. This car was last run at Chicagoland Speedway in July where Keselowski started 14th and finish 18th.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” TO AWARD MORE THAN 60 PRIZES – JR Motorsports announced the beginning of its six-week online promotion, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway”, in which fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win 60 prize packages. Beginning Aug. 14th, prizes will be distributed each week for six weeks. The prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways. Each of the prizes was donated by 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsorship partners. Registration began on Aug. 7th, and runs through Sept. 18th. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

DEGREE V12 CHALLENGE – NASCAR fans can now team up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski in the Degree V12 Challenge. The Degree V12 Driving Challenge features five road races that give players a unique and exciting online race experience. Players compete against each other for a chance to win a variety of prizes including a trip to the Degree V12 300 in Atlanta on September 6, 2009 and a chance to meet Dale Jr. Visit www.DegreeRacing.com to register for the Degree V12 Challenge and begin racing to win. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/27/09. Visit www.DegreeRacing.com for complete rules.)

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on going home to Michigan) – “I’m so excited to come back home to the Michigan area and have the opportunity to race at this track in front of these great fans. I’ve been able to be at home this week and spend time with my family which is always good. I’ve also visited some local spots that were important to me growing up and to my racing career. To be able to race at my home track is a pretty big deal for me, as I remember watching my Dad win an ARCA race. Now I get another opportunity to try to win there as well. I really would love nothing more than to give the fans and my team a good finish in Michigan.”

KESELOWSKI (on his season to date) – “I would probably give my season to date an A minus. Obviously we’ve been able to win a few races and have some real solid finishes to back up those wins. However, there are definitely a couple of races at the beginning of the season that I’d like back. But all we can do now is look forward to the races we have left and try to win as many of them as possible. We are definitely making strides with our program, and I think that was made evident with the win at Iowa Speedway a few weeks ago.”

KESELOWSKI (on going to the University of Michigan football camp) – “Like last year, I am so pumped to be able to go to football camp up at the University of Michigan. I have been a fan of the Wolverines for as long as I can remember, and so I’ll kind of be a kid in a candy store when I get there. I know the guys up there are as excited for me to get there as I am. I’m hoping to be able to chat with some of the players as well as Coach (Rich) Rodriguez. This is going to be a good year for the team and seeing them get ready for the season will be a thrill for me for sure.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Ron Fellows, No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Watkins Glen Preview

Press Release — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:59:32 +0000

PREVIEW – Ron Fellows (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – Zippo 200 (82 laps / 200 miles)

TRACK – Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile road course)

DATE – Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. EST)

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Ron Fellows will be available to media members outside the No. 5 hauler in the Nationwide Series garage on Friday, Aug. 7 at 3:00 p.m.

FELLOWS WITH JRM – Fellows has one start and one win with JRM. It came at Montreal in 2008. He qualified sixth, and led seven laps en route to his fourth series victory. It marked his first Nationwide Series win since Watkins Glen in 2001, and made him the first Canadian to win a NASCAR event on Canadian soil. Additionally, it was the first road-course victory for JRM and the second win of the year for the No. 5 Chevrolet.

AT THE GLEN – In eight starts at the Glen, Fellows owns three wins (1998, 2000, and 2001), four top fives, and five top 10s. He earned two poles, along with an average start of 7.6, and an average finish of 13.1. Fellows holds the distinction of being the oldest winner of the 82-lap race at 41 years, nine months, and ten days old following his 2001 victory. The veteran leads the Nationwide Series with most laps led at the Glen with 189. That is the equivalent of leading 463 miles, or roughly the driving distance from Watkins Glen International to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

NATIONWIDE SERIES STATS – Fellows’ Nationwide Series history goes back 12 years to 1997. In his 13 career races, he’s scored four wins, six top-five, and seven top-10 finishes. Fellows earned two poles, led 200 laps, and has an average finish of 16.6 with an average start of 7.2.

JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES - A longtime sports car and road-racing veteran, Fellows is credited with three class championships in the American Le Mans Series, two class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 19 overall victories in the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans-Am Series as a member of the Corvette Racing Team. His NASCAR credentials include six overall wins (two in the Camping World Truck Series), and two runner-up finishes in Sprint Cup competition.

CHASSIS INFO – The Fastenal team will race chassis No. 389 this weekend. It last went to victory at Montreal in 2008 with Fellows. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also piloted this chassis at the Glen last year.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

FELLOWS (on what it will take to get the Fastenal Chevrolet a win at the Glen this weekend) – “We had a fantastic weekend at Montreal last year, and we basically have the same crew headed up by Brian Campe and Cam Strader at Watkins Glen this weekend. They both have a pretty good idea what I’ll need in the Fastenal Chevy. But for us to win this weekend, we need to have that great Hendrick horsepower, and be fast from turn one to the inner loop. Nothing else matters.”

FELLOWS (on the characteristics of a solid road racer) – “A good road racer has to be very smooth with all car inputs – brakes, throttle, and steering. The biggest difference from an oval is the footwork approaching a corner. When you enter the corner on a road course you brake and also downshift the transmission. You’re going from the gear you are in to the gear you need. Sometimes you’ll even downshift through two gears. It can be a bit tricky as you need to match the rpm’s from the gear you’re in to the gear you need. If it goes wrong and you don’t get it exactly right, that’s when you see the dreaded rear-axle hop. That is usually followed by the back end of the car going into the corner first – never a good feeling.”

FELLOWS (What kind of an advantage do you think you can give the 5 car over the competition at the Glen) – “My advantage with the Fastenal Chevy is the Fastenal Chevy! JR Motorsports put together a great crew, and they have excellent preparation. Hopefully my years of experience at Watkins Glen help as well and we’ll be among the frontrunners in Saturday’s race. I’d love to be the first to get Fastenal its first victory with JRM.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Scott Wimmer, No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Impala SS Iowa Speedway Preview

Press Release — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:07:11 +0000

Scott Wimmer

PREVIEW – Scott Wimmer (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – U.S. Cellular 250 (250 laps / 218 miles)

TRACK – Iowa Speedway (.875-mile oval)

DATE – Saturday, August 1, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN (coverage begins at 4:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 4:00 p.m. EST)

RACING WITH JRM– Wimmer’s only short-track start with JRM came last week at ORP. He finished ninth and led 39 laps, a season-high lap statistic for both Wimmer and the No. 5 Fastenal team.

WIMMER OUT FRONT: Prior to last week’s race, the last time Wimmer led 39 or more laps was at Nashville Superspeedway in 2007. There, he led 41 laps en route to a fourth-place finish. The last time the No. 5 team lead more than 39 laps dates back to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2008. The team led 81 laps before taking its first victory under the JRM banner.

CONSISTENT FINISHES – Wimmer earned a top-10 finish in two of his three races with JRM. This weekend’s U.S. Cellular 250 marks Wimmer’s fourth race with Fastenal and JR Motorsports. He will race again at Richmond International Raceway and Kansas Speedway this fall.

SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS – Throughout his career, Wimmer has performed well on short tracks similar to Iowa Speedway, which include Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, O’Reilly Raceway Park and Memphis Motorsports Park. He has one win (Memphis), eight top-fives and 23 top-10 finishes, with one pole (Bristol). In 37 short-track starts, Wimmer led 230 career-total laps, and has an average finish of 11.3.

CHASSIS INFO – The No. 5 Fastenal team will run chassis 299. Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove it to a 20th-place finish at Texas in the spring.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.comto enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

WIMMER (looks ahead to Iowa Speedway) – “Last week at ORP was just what this Fastenal team needed. We were able to run with the leaders for most of the night and keep ourselves in contention for a good finish. It felt good to lead some laps there, too. This week will be a little different heading to Iowa with it being a track that the series has never raced on before. Fortunately, for me, it’s another short-track and I really enjoy short-track racing. Hopefully we can pull some momentum from last week into this weekend at Iowa.”

WIMMER (on achieving success at Iowa) - “A lot of our goals from last week’s race will carry over to Iowa. Track position will again be key. You’ve got to get up front and be able to stay up front at these smaller tracks and plan a good pit strategy. You can’t overestimate the importance of a good qualifying effort, too. The leaders catch lapped traffic quickly and you don’t want to be stuck back in traffic when that happens. If we can get most of those things right come race day, we can get another good finish with this Fastenal Chevrolet.”

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala SS Iowa Speedway

Press Release — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:01:15 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)

EVENT – U.S Cellular 250 presented by Northland Oil and TMC Trucking (250 laps/ 218.75 miles)

TRACK – Iowa Speedway (.875- Mile Oval)

DATE – Saturday, August 1, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN (coverage begins at 4:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 4:00 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 392 points behind leader Kyle Busch. In 20 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have one win, 10 top-fives, 14 top-10s and one pole award. His average starting position is 13.6 and average finish is 8.8.

KESELOWSKI ON SHORT TRACKS – Keselowski has done well on short tracks similar to Iowa Speedway this season, which include Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and O’Reilly Raceway Park. He has two top-fives on these tracks in 2009 with an average finish of 6.6.

CONTINUED STAND-ALONE SUCCESS – Keselowski continues to excel on stand-alone race weekends, posting five top-five finishes, six top-10 finishes, one pole award and an average finish of 3.8 at the six stand-alone races so far in 2009. These tracks include Nashville Superspeedway (two races), Kentucky Speedway, Milwaukee Mile, Gateway International Raceway, and O’Reilly Raceway Park.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF DRIVING – Keselowski spent time last week with the newest GoDaddy Girl, LPGA golfer and model Anna Rawson, to work on his golf game. After time at the driving range, Keselowski took Rawson to a local karting track to teach her a few things about his kind of driving. The day was captured by camera crews and will be aired on SPEED at a later date.

BIG WEEKEND FOR GODADDY.COM – GoDaddy.com is the presenting sponsor for this weekend’s U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. Keselowski will serve as the In-Race Reporter for the ESPN broadcast. GoDaddy.com has offices located just a few hours from the speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

CHASSIS NO. 403 – The No. 88 GoDaddy.com team will run Chassis No. 403 this weekend in the U.S. Cellular 250. This car was last raced at Dover in May, where Keselowski led the final two laps and won the race after starting 12th.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

KESELOWSKI (on going to Iowa) – “It’s going to be a little different for all of us this weekend, going to a track that we have never been to. It’s kind of cool though because it levels out the playing field for us with no one driver having more experience than another.

I think it’s great that NASCAR is giving us the extended practice session on Thursday so that everyone can get a feel for the track. We are bringing back the car we won with at Dover and I’m excited about that. We had a good race last weekend on the short track at ORP and while this track is a little bigger, I’m hoping we can take that momentum and experience into the weekend at Iowa.”

KESELOWSKI (on getting to hang out with LPGA golfer and GoDaddy girl, Anna Rawson) – “I had a lot of fun spending time with Anna Rawson last week at our shoot. I’m not much of a golfer, but she was able to show me a couple of things that made me look like I actually knew what I was doing out there! She’s a talented golfer and extremely patient. I also got to show her a few things about my kind of driving at a local go-kart track.

While it wasn’t exactly the same as being on a full sized track, we still had a great time. She took it a little bit on the slow side at first, but by the end of the session, she looked really confident out there on the track. I’ve had the opportunity to do some cool things with GoDaddy.com as a sponsor and this is definitely at the top of the list.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Degree V12 Chevrolet Gateway Preview

Press Release — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:01:56 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Degree V12 Chevrolet)

EVENT – Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 (200 laps/ 250 miles)

TRACK – Gateway International Raceway (1.25- Mile Oval)

DATE – Saturday, July 18, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 9:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 9:00 p.m. EST)

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Brad Keselowski will be available to members of the media in the Gateway International Raceway driver’s meeting room on Friday, July 17, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 334 points behind leader Kyle Busch. In 18 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have one win, nine top-fives and 12 top-10s. His average starting position is 14.7 and average finish is 9.2.

KESELOWSKI AT GATEWAY – Keselowski is making his third Nationwide Series start this weekend at Gateway International Raceway for JR Motorsports. In last season’s event, Keselowski started 20th and finished fifth after battling back from an on-track incident.

GATEWAY EXPERIENCE – Keselowski and the No. 88 Degree V12 team are led by veteran crew chief Tony Eury Sr. Known to most in the garage as “Pops”, Eury Sr. was crew chief to nephew and JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. when the pair won back-to-back Nationwide Series championships in 1998 and 1999. During those two years, the duo won back-to-back races at Gateway as well.

STAND-ALONE SPECIALIST – Keselowski has proved he is a top performer in Nationwide Series stand-alone events. In the four stand-alone races this year (Kentucky Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, and two at Nashville Superspeedway) Keselowski has an average starting position of 10.7 and an average finish of 2.7, the highest among series regulars.

GAINING POINTS – In the seven races since Keselowski’s win at Dover in May, the only driver to outgain him in the Nationwide Series driver standings is points leader Kyle Busch. Keselowski has earned 1,124 points to Busch’s 1,217.

CHASSIS NO. 434 – The No. 88 Degree V12 team will run Chassis No. 434 this weekend in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. This car was last raced in the 2008 fall race at Phoenix where Keselowski started 16th and finished 21st after suffering a flat tire. While the finish would suggest otherwise, Keselowski called No. 434 the best short-track car he’s ever driven.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.comto enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on last weekend and heading to Gateway) – “Our finish last weekend at Chicagoland was obviously not what we were hoping for. This sport goes in cycles so you are going to have a bad race here and there and we had one last weekend. We just need to regroup as a team and get ready for the next challenge which is this weekend at Gateway. I enjoy these stand-alone events that the Nationwide Series has because you know there is going to be a lot of good talent in the field. The team is also bringing me a car that I like a lot, and I’m hopeful to get back on track in the points race with a good finish.”

KESELOWSKI (on working with crew chief Tony Eury Sr.) – “Pops (Tony Eury Sr.) brings so much to the team between his leadership and experience. Because of that he commands a high level of respect as well. I have really enjoyed working with him because I’ve been able to learn a lot from him during my time at JR Motorsports. He’s had success at Gateway in the past with Dale Jr. during those two years they won the championship together and so we’ll be leaning on that experience this weekend to hopefully get a solid finish.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Klondike Chevrolet Daytona Preview

Press Release — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:15:30 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Klondike Chevrolet)

EVENT – Subway Jalapeno 250 (100 laps/ 250 miles)

TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5- Mile Tri-oval)

DATE – Friday, July 3, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Coming off of his fifth consecutive top-three finish, Keselowski remains alive in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship picture. After his third-place finish at New Hampshire last weekend, Keselowski gained 10 points on second place Carl Edwards, but remains third in the championship standings, 243 points back from leader Kyle Busch. In 16 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have one win, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. His average starting position is 15.4 and average finish is 8.8.

KESELOWSKI AT DAYTONA – Keselowski will be making his fourth Nationwide Series start this weekend at Daytona International Speedway for JR Motorsports. In the first three starts, his average starting spot is 10.0 and his average finish is 14.3. In the July race last season, Keselowski started second, finished fifth and led 28 laps.

IN THE LOOP – According to NASCAR Loop Statistics, Keselowski ranks first among NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers in quality passes with 562 made in the first 16 races of the season. A quality pass is made while running in the top-15 under green flag conditions.

NOCTURNAL COMPETITOR – Keselowski continues to perform well at races held under the lights. This season, he has an average finish of 4.9 in any race started after 6:30 p.m. and of those finishes, none are lower than 11th.

RACING WITH THE BOSS – For the sixth time this season, Keselowski will compete on track against team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Friday’s race at Daytona. Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. This season, Keselowski amassed one top-five and two top-10 finishes when he raced with Dale Jr. as a teammate.

FINAL CURTAIN – This weekend marks the final time for sponsor Klondike on the hood of Keselowski’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevy. Klondike was the primary sponsor of the No. 88 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2/28) and Talladega Superspeedway (4/25), where Keselowski earned the sponsor’s highest finish of ninth.

DOUBLE DUTY – Keselowski will attempt to make the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona this weekend in the No. 09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing, his second attempt this season at this track. He is coming off of a sixth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, his third top-10 finish in his last three Cup Series starts.

CHASSIS NO. 222 – The No. 88 Klondike team will run Chassis No. 222 this weekend in the Subway Jalapeno 250. This car was most recently raced at Talladega Superspeedway in April where Keselowski started 10th and finished ninth. He also raced Chassis 222 at Daytona in the season opener.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to a href=”http://www.RealFanOfTheYear.com “>www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on coming back to Daytona…) – “I’ve been looking forward to coming back to Daytona for a while now. We had such a strong car and a great run going in the spring, but I got a little too aggressive and got into the wall there at the end just going all out for the win. I guess I just kind of want that one back. We are bringing back that same car and it’s the one I had in Talladega as well where we had a top-10 finish. I just want to continue to ride this momentum with my team and hopefully it will take us to victory lane.”

KESELOWSKI (on having Dale Jr. as a teammate…) – “I’m always grateful to have a teammate out there with me on the track and in the garage and I can definitely tell a difference when we have the No. 5 team around. It’s even better when I have someone like Dale Jr. at a place like Daytona. He obviously has solid experience there and has the finishes to back it up. He and I have had a lot of fun this year racing together and drafting together at these restrictor plate races. I think it would be really great to get a one-two finish this weekend for JR Motorsports.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Imapla SS Daytona Preview

Press Release — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:11:45 +0000

JR Motorsports Logo

PREVIEW – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – Subway Jalapeño 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)

TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)

DATE – Friday, July 3, 2009

TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. EST)
AT DAYTONA – In 16 starts at Daytona, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has five wins, eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. He has led 481 laps and earned an average finish of 10.4. In his last Daytona outing in February, he finished seventh after a 24th-place start.

UNDER THE LIGHTS – Earnhardt Jr. led at least five laps in five of his six career night races at Daytona, for a total of 234 laps. In 2003 he led every lap (100) en route to victory in the Winn-Dixie 250.

QUALIFYING SUCCESS STORY – Although starting up front isn’t paramount to a strong finish at Daytona, it certainly helps. Each time Earnhardt Jr. has qualified in the top-10 for Daytona’s summer event, he has finished third or better, culminating into an average finish of 1.6.

NO. 5 IN VICTORY LANE – The most recent win at Daytona for the No. 5 Chevrolet Impala SS dates back to the summer of 2007 with previous Hendrick Motorsports driver, Kyle Busch. He led 65 laps in the victory.

DYNAMIC DUO – The JRM pair of Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski combined to lead 42 of 105 laps in last year’s night race at Daytona. In three Daytona races in which Keselowski is his teammate, Earnhardt Jr. has two top-three and one top-10 finish, with an average finish of 4.3.

JUNIOR IN THE 5 CAR: Friday’s race will be the sixth of seven scheduled races for Earnhardt Jr. in the Nationwide Series this year. In his first five races, he has an average start of 14.6 and an average finish of 10.0. Earnhardt Jr. has two top-fives (Talladega and Las Vegas) and three top-10s in five races this season. His final race in the No. 5 this year will be Sept. 5 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Degree V12 Chevrolet. Degree is the title sponsor for the race.

CHASSIS INFO – The No. 5 Fastenal team will run chassis 279. This chassis lead the field for eight laps at Talladega last spring and finished fifth.

THE SUNSHINE STATE – Front tire carrier Ryan Buscaglio, calls the sunshine state home. Buscaglio hails from Lake Worth, Fla., just outside of West Palm Beach.

Eli Samuel Ross

Bank of Stanly

Attn: Misty Nordan

P.O. Box 539

Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH FOR REAL FANS: The online contest announced by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Brad Keselowski at Daytona in February continues, as Hellmann’s has teamed up with NASCAR to find the biggest, most loyal fans with the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year contest. Fans can enter for a chance to receive a VIP trip for two to Charlotte, N.C. to meet Earnhardt Jr., and finalists will see their faces on the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet during the October Nationwide Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Julia Hiles was selected as the contest’s first finalist in February, but there are still six more spots on the car! For more details, log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

EARNHARDT JR.: “Of all the tracks I go to, this is my favorite. The place is special to me for a lot of reasons. These restrictor-plate tracks are so much fun when you have Tony Eury Sr. on your side, because he knows this stuff better than anyone. Even though he’s Brad’s crew chief, I feel we all benefit from having him in a JR Motorsports shirt. I know him and Brian Campe (crew chief for No. 5 team) work closely together, and it’s an advantage. Brad has done well at these plate races, too. I feel like the JR Motorsports cars can contend for a win any time we show up at a restrictor-plate track.”

EARNHARDT JR (on running for Fastenal): “This is Fastenal’s fifth race on board with us, and my second in the Fastenal car. We’ve had some really good races with Fastenal, but not locked down the solid finishes like we should have. I think (Scott) Wimmer has done better than any of us. I look forward to running this car – it’s a sharp looking car. I think it will look good under the lights at Daytona this weekend. Hopefully we’ll give the Fastenal folks something to cheer about.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release